What Did She Mean?
by Llevelios
Summary: Superboy wonders what Artemis meant when she said "that boy" and decides to ask Robin. Written for LJ.


AN: Written for the prompt "What did she mean" on livejournal. Yes it is my story, I wrote it.

**What Did She Mean?**

Superboy found he often got frustrated with life outside Cadmus. There were many things he didn't understand, for instance, fast-food. It wasn't fast at all, it couldn't run like Kid Flash, and often waiting for it took a long time.

But what currently frustrated the young clone was the complexity of the human language.

Sitting in M'gann's ship, watching Robin type away at the holographic screen on his wrist, waiting to get to Star Labs, Superboy found himself replaying what Artemis had said to-well at-him earlier.

He remembered what Kaldur had told him once, that words sometimes had hidden meanings. So using the advice, he tried to decipher what the hidden meaning of "that boy" was. He couldn't find it. To him it sounded like Artemis hadn't finished her sentence, but by the look M'gann gave her and the following "you embarrassed him" he assumed the new teammate had.

Frowning in sudden anger at his lack of knowledge in this department, he looked up at Robin and briefly wondered if the masked boy knew.

The sudden memory of Robin laughing at him as Canary knocked him down during their sparring match flashed across his eyelids, keeping him from voicing his question to the Boy Wonder.

Turning away to look out the window, superboy sighed. He really wanted to know, but didn't want his comrade to laugh at his question, in case it was something easy to understand and he just wasn't getting it.

Furrowing his eyebrows he quickly decided that his need to know outweighed his concern of being laughed at.

Turning towards his teammate, Superboy found that the Boy Wonder was staring at him.

"You okay?" Robin looked mildly concerned as he asked the question.

Superboy hesitated for a second before shaking his doubts from his mind.

"Back there, at the school, Artemis...said something," he paused feeling a little nervous before continuing "she said 'that boy' and I wanted to know...what does she mean by that?"

Robin raised his eyebrows in slight surprise before a smile was placed across his face.

"She likes you."

Superboy frowned, wondering how "That boy" could mean she liked him.

"Well...why didn't she just say she likes me?" His eyes screaming confusion as they met with the domino mask.

Robin opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the other.

"I don't understand how 'that boy' could mean she likes me. You said you like me but you've never said 'that boy'."

Robin recalled telling the clone he liked him, but he hadn't meant it the way Artemis had.

"I like you, but I don't like like you. Artemis was trying to say she like likes you...uh, get it?" It was confusing even to Robin.

"...No."

Robin didn't like how superboy frowned then, it gave him the sudden feeling that the clone was going to punch a hole in the ship and send them crashing below.

"She thinks you're attractive!" He said quickly, raising his hands toward the clone, trying to ease the others confusion. He had the feeling Superboy's bad temper was ready to strike.

Superboy's features softened as what Robin hoped understanding dawned on him. Those features however, turned into a frown again as Superboy asked.

"What does attractive mean?"

Robin sighed and decided, Genomes were useless.

"It means...she likes...how you look." The Boy Wonder was finding it hard to explain meanings to his teammate and keep him calm at the same time.

Superboy paused to think about what he'd been told. Robin hoped that maybe he solved his friends' word issue, noticing how superboy seemed to relax.

"So when she said 'that boy', she meant she liked how I look?" His eyes shining now with an understanding.

"er...something like that, but-" Robin was cut off by a beep from the ship that signaled their arrival. Thoughts of explaining more to his partner vanished as they watched Star Labs crumble in the wake of the fog.

….

It was only after the mission had been a success and the fog had been destroyed, did the conversation come back to Superboy's mind.

He was currently walking back to the cave with the rest of his team, watching as they talked and got to know their newest teammate, when a thought occurred to him.

Liking how someone looked was considered a compliment and a compliment usually brightened someone's day. He turned to Kaldur, who was the only one, besides himself, not engaging in the conversation and noticed the other seemed deep in thought. He looked almost sad, but more disappointed. Deciding to cheer up the team leader, superboy cleared his throat and in a loud enough voice, so that the team could hear him he said.

"Kaldur I think your attractive."

Silence took over the team as they all turned to look at him, Kaldur blushing in surprise and embarrassment.

Superboy in his confusion at their reaction, briefly noticed Robin bring his palm to his face.

R&R please!


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